The Folklore Podcast

In this bonus episode of The Folklore Podcast we shine a light on another fantastic folklore audio project as we meet Charlie Dobres, the writer and creator of audio drama The Maiden and the Dragon. This 6-part production takes a well-known folk tale that we have covered on this show before, The Lambton Worm, and retreats it with a female protagonist in the lead role. You can access more content from The Folklore Podcast, as well as supporting the show and helping it to continue, by visiting the Patreon page at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcastVisit Charlie's website at https://goodintentmedia.com/

We return to the subject of vampires on The Folklore Podcast, a subject which we last covered in detail way back in Season 2 with a two-part investigation into the folkloric vampire.This time, we focus on the vampire as it is found in the Slavic regions, with our guest Sam Grant. Sam, who travelled to the area to research the subject, is also the author of a currently unpublished novel, 'Bunika' which fuses actual Slavic vampire lore with fictional elements. In discussion with Mark Norman, the creator and host of The Folklore Podcast, Sam explains the fundamentals of Slavic lore as it relates to the image of the vampire.You can visit Sam's website at www.bunikanovel.comJoin the Folklore Podcast Patreon, either as a free member or for a small monthly amount, to access a wealth of exclusive extra folklore content and support the show.

In this new strand of The Folklore Podcast, we delve into the archives and pull out old interviews from previous seasons that never made it to air.Today, pagan author Chris Allaun discusses his writing and in particular two of his books, 'The Black Book of Johnathan Knotbristle' and 'Whispers from the Coven', both of which are an interesting mix of a fiction novel with useable spells incorporated into the text.Support The Folklore Podcast on Patreon and access extra bonus content at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

It all starts when two friends are invited to the home of a mysterious spiritualist medium to experience a seance in their search for evidence of the paranormal. But the medium’s home used to belong to a girl who died there. And that’s never a good combination.So starts the story of 'The Seance', a piece of live theatre written and directed by the guest on this episode of The Folklore Podcast, Chris Stagg.Chris talks with Mark Norman, creator and host of The Folklore Podcast, about his writing and interest in horror, and specifically about the logistics of placing a seance live on stage in front of an audience.You can find Chris on social media:Twitter/Instagram @cw_staggBluesky @cwstagg.bsky.socialTo support The Folklore Podcast in producing more content, please consider joining the Patreon page to access more content at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

In this special edition release of The Folklore Podcast, we chat with the New York Times Bestselling horror author Grady Hendrix about his fiction and non-fiction writing, and about his new book 'Witchcraft for Wayward Girls' which is released on the same day as this episode - January 14th, 2025.Support The Folklore Podcast on Patreon and get extra exclusive content at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

Folklore in the Field is the bonus episode strand of The Folklore Podcast where we chat with people out on location about their work and interests. No frills. No heavy production. Just conversation.In this episode, Folklore Podcast creator and host Mark Norman chats with children's author Claire Barker about her interests in folklore and her writing, including 'Knitbone Pepper, Ghost Dog', 'Picklewitch and Jack' and her forthcoming book 'Hettie Nettle's Handbook for Hedgewitches'.Visit Claire online at https://clairebarkerauthor.com/Support The Folklore Podcast on Patreon to access exclusive extra content at https://www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

In this episode, the first show of the 10th anniversary season of The Folklore Podcast, we look at the classic TV mini-series 'The 10th Kingdom' which is celebrating its 25th birthday.Folklore Podcast creator and host Mark Norman gives an overview of some of the content that you can expect during the season. This is followed by an interview with special guest Simon Moore, who wrote the screenplay for 'The 10th Kingdom'.Simon gives some insights into his writing and the show and discusses the subjects of fairy tales and folklore. The interview also gives some information about the potential for a possible return to 'The 10th Kingdom' through new novelization and the options for a new TV series.To support The Folklore Podcast on Patreon and get exclusive bonus material, please visit https://www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcastFind The Folklore Podcast on the web at http://www.thefolklorepodcast.com

The old Irish tradition of using enormous stones in the landscape, sometimes known as testing stones, as a feat of strength has been all but lost for generations. Such stones were lifted to honour the dead at funerals, as a rite of passage to adulthood, as a test of suitability for particular jobs or roles, and for many other purposes.There are many such stones still lying in the Irish landscape, the purpose forgotten, until recently. Thanks to the diligent research and investigation of the guest on this episode of The Folklore Podcast, David Keohan, these stones are gradually being rediscovered, mapped, and lifted once again.In this episode, we learn about the Irish traditions behind the Lifting Stones, and David's efforts to rediscover them.You can follow David on his Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/_indiana_stones_If you enjoy this episode, please consider subscribing to our Patreon page. You can do this for free to access our storytelling podcast, Stories from the Hearth, or for a subscription from just £1 a month, you can access a whole catalogue of exclusive member only content. Visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast for more details

In this bonus interview from The Folklore Podcast, recorded live at the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research 40th anniversary conference at Sheffield Hallam University, Dr Megan Kenny sits down to chat with Folklore Podcast host Mark Norman and Perry Carpenter from the Digital Folklore Podcast.Megan is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Sheffield Hallam and talks about power and psychology in folklore.You can listen to Megan's own podcast Monstrous Flesh, which looks at women in horror, wherever you get podcasts. The website is at https://www.monstrousflesh.co.uk/podcastSupport the work of The Folklore Podcast on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

As listeners in the US celebrate Thanksgiving, this bonus minisode takes a look at what we actually know about the history of this celebration versus the popular myth.Support the Folklore Podcast via our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast for additional content.